If anyone spots Eddie Howe appearing to be rehearsing lines on the steps of St James’ Park over the next few days, there’s an obvious explanation. It was from said vantage point 30 years ago that another Newcastle manager, Kevin Keegan, had to explain to angry and bewildered fans why they had sold Andy Cole to Manchester United. The modern-day version, of course, is Howe having to talk his way out of why the club could be letting Alexander Isak go to Liverpool.
To be honest, it doesn’t seem a very Howe thing to do, although rumours suggest the current Magpies manager wouldn’t be averse. And, if Howe knows his history, he might benefit, just as Liverpool once did, from the Coutinho effect – flogging a player at peak value and rebuilding key parts of the squad with the hefty proceeds.
Joao Mario, Cristhian Mosquera and Marcus Rashford.
Men’s transfer window summer 2025: all deals from Europe’s top five leagues
Isak going to Liverpool (anything from £125m to £150m appear to be the latest quotes) would spark a different sort of effect, one involving dominoes. So if the Swedish striker topples towards Anfield, what other currently static deals might fall into place as the chain reaction spreads?
Let’s start with Newcastle. If Isak does move on, several sources are suggesting Leipzig’s 22-year-old forward Benjamin Sesko is top of Howe’s wishlist. He’d cost £70m and upwards. The Slovenian’s Leipzig teammate Loïs Openda has also been linked, while it seems pretty obvious that Brentford will want way more than the £25m that Newcastle are believed to have offered for their frontman Yoane Wissa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo international is 28 so another, more youthful, option for Howe could be the prolific Porto striker Samu Aghehowa (Howe and Aghehowa has nice symmetry; the equivalent of Pep Guardiola signing Josko Gvardiol, maybe). Aghehowa is just 21, although he has a reported release clause of €100m (£87m).
